Beach volleyball stars play on no ordinary court in a 2,000 year-old town

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A single moment in time captured for eternity; the final step on the path to becoming a sporting champion. After almost 2,000 years, the city of Poreč, Croatia,  is still standing - a symbol of survival through the ages. Only those who emerge victorious at the 2017 Poreč Major will have their names added to the town’s history books.

Photocredit: Marjan Radovic/Swatch Beach Volleyball Major Series

The Divine Set showcases the Czech Republic’s beach volleyball leading ladies Barbora Hermannová and Markéta Sluková in the Euphrasian Basilica, a 1,600-year-old episcopal complex that is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Swatch Major Series are the first to have ever been invited to shoot within this cornerstone of Istria - making the results even more remarkable.

Croatian photographer Marjan Radovic had the honor of being behind the camera for this iconic shoot. “Being able to put this sport in the Euphrasian Basilica was not only challenging, but it also made me feel like a time traveler viewing a blending of history and the present through my viewfinder. That alone made me feel special and also gave me the motivation to conquer the special challenges of this shoot. And that’s what I do best!” says Marjan.

Photocredit: Marjan Radovic/Swatch Beach Volleyball Major Series

Following on from the iconic Spike the Sun shoot to showcase the Fort Lauderdale Major, the astounding architecture of the basilica became a court like no other for the Czech team ahead of the Poreč Major. The players’ silhouettes under the scorching sun were synonymous with sporting struggles and Poreč’s own story of survival.

The Poreč Major returns to Croatia on June 27 for the third year running and has become renowned for being the most unmissable sporting event of the summer. Bringing beach volleyball’s biggest Olympic stars together under one stadium, this promises to be yet another epic battle befitting of a city bestowed in such a rich history as Poreč.